adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
CREME DE’ LA CREME of Zimbabwe basketball will descend on Mutare for this year’s edition of the unbranded national inter-club basketball championships set for the eastern border city over the Easter holiday.
A total of 28 teams for both males and females will converge at three venues — Raylton Sports Club, Mutare Boys’ High and Mutare Girls’ High — for the competition.
Group matches start at 8am at the three venues, with matches for Pool A and Pool D males and females set for Mutare Boys’ High, while Pool B and Pool C teams will battles it out at Raylton Sports Club.
Winners and runners-up for both males and females’ competitions will represent the country when they compete in the regional inter club championships set for South Africa in October. The regional October games culminate into the continental inter club championships that bring together regional representatives from the all the regions of the continent.
Sadly, Zimbabwean teams have not gone beyond the regional competitions with Angola and Mozambique dominating the regional contest on numerous occasions.
Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (BUZ) games and competitions manager Forbes Shuva confirmed that all is set for the annual competition with all participating teams having confirmed that they will be travelling to Mutare in time for the games.
“We are happy as a union to announce that the national inter-clubs competitions are going ahead as scheduled. All the teams that are taking part have since confirmed that they will be in Mutare in time for the games.
“It is a three-day event that we hope the people of Mutare and all those who love basketball travelling from other towns will enjoy. We want to urge all those who love the game, especially those in Mutare to come and witness the talent we have in Zimbabwe,’ said Shuva in a telephone interview early this week from Harare.
Defending champions Cameo, JBC, Highlanders, Cheetahs, Oilers, Raiders, Steelers, NUST, Mercenaries, Unicorns, Africa University, City Sophists, Mavericks, Dangamvura Knights, Drifters, Hustlers, make up the list of male teams taking part in this year’s event while Pool A is made of defending champions Cameo, powerhouse JBC, Highlanders and Cheetahs while Pool B comprises Oilers, Raiders, Steelers and the Bulawayo-based NUST.
Mavericks, underrated yet star-studded Dangamvura Knights, Hustlers and Drifters are in Pool C.
Highly rated Mutare side Mercenaries, Unicorns, Africa University and City Sophists make up the list in Pool D, a group in which three clubs are all from Mutare save for one.
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